In an Internet Week panel entitled Financial Services & Social Media - Strategies and Tools for Managing Compliance Risk, issues no one wants to addressed were front and center.

If you are in financial services and considering any social media initiatives, this panel would make you run screaming from the room and never want to think of social media again. Bottom line: if you publish in a regulated industry, you are regulated by SEC, FINRA, FDA, etc. You have to understand that the playbook is not yet written regarding social media compliance. There are good practices, not yet best practices. It's a potential minefield. This session was practically a long list of "don'ts".

We're getting sick of writing headlines like this one. With increasing frequency, the ability of the human race to appreciate humor is dwindling and will soon be very much like the planet Vulcan crossed with some kind of politically correct self-esteem club; emotionless. overly logical and devoid of the ability to rib or poke fun at one another.

The Postal Service has reached a settlement with Burger King over an ad that depicted a mail carrier becoming distracted by Burger King breakfast food. The Post Office didn't take kindly to the ad and, in particular, copy with read, "With pancakes and eggs on my plate, the mail has to wait."

The Postal Service claimed Burger King used the brand's logo and uniform without permission and portrayed the mail carries in a less than positive light. while Burger King admits no wrong doing, it has agreed to revise the ad so that the uniform is generic and does not use the Postal Service logo.

In yet another sad confirmation the human race has lost its ability to appreciate humor, several cause groups have complained about a Sprint ad which ran several websites and newspapers Tuesday. The ad, which stated Sprint opposition to AT&T's proposed takeover of T-Mobile, features a man in a dress that looks like the one the T-Mobile Babe wears in the T-Mobile campaign.

A man in a dress! Now that's funny! Come on, people! But no. No one has a sense of humor anymore.

On complaint came from REC Networks Founder Michi Etre who is transgender and didn't like the ad. He issued a statement which read, in part, "We are deeply disturbed by an advertisement that was developed and approved in part by organizations including Media Access Project and the Center For Media Justice. While we do not view this as intentional transphobia on the part of MAP or the other organizations or Sprint, who purchased the advertising space, we feel that the depiction is still inappropriate."

Again. A man in a dress. What's next? Louisa May Alcott's Little Woman retitled because it offends midg...uh...little people?

A billboard in Jerome, Illinois for BJ Grand Salon & Spa which has a naked women (with all her unmentionables covered) has cause some complaints resulting in the application of a "censored" sticker over the woman.

An initial complaint came from a woman who drove by the billboard with her children. The complaint made its way to Jerome Vilage President Harry Stirmell who said, "The way I got it was that she was driving down the street and had her kids in the car. One of the kids said something like 'that girl in the picture is nude.' "

Several complaints followed and were passed on to WC Media Owner Nick Giacomini who, in turn, presented them to HIP Advertising's Myra Hoffman and BJ Grand's John and Gail Lorenzini.

Of course, no one at the agency or the brand intended to offend feeling he image was "beautiful, not provocative." But they agreed to have the censor label applied to the billboard.

Working to extend the "controversy," as any good agency should, HIP Advertising put up a website where people can go and vote as to whether or not the feel the board is too hot, just right or not worth worrying about. Currently, most people feel the board id just right.

Said to enhance buyer control over ad placement and context, the Interactive Advertising Bureau announced the launch of the Ad Network & Exchange Quality Assurance Certification Program consisting of compliance guidelines, procedures and a certification program. Companies that undergo training, conduct an internal audit and assign a compliance officer to maintain the IAB's Quality Assurance Guidelines will receive a compliance seal from the IAB. The seal, which can be placed on the company's website and marketing materials, certifies that the company is adhering fully to the only industry established criteria as outlined by the QAG, finalized in June 2010.

New York advertising agency Barker/DZP apologized Monday to local firefighter Robert Keiley for creating an ad which indicated Keiley he had been at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, when in fact he was not. Keiley joined the Fire Department in 2004.

Keiley, who also works as a model, was under the impression the ad would be for fire prevention when he agreed to the photoshoot. But his photograph appeared without his knowledge or permission in an ad for a local law firm that specializes in September 11 legal cases, with the words "I Was There."

"We deeply regret any offense to Mr. Keiley, other firefighters or anyone else that has been hurt by this ad," said Keith McKay, business operations manager for Barker/DZP. Agency president John Barker said Barker/DZP purchased the stock photo of Keiley and, in a statement, said, "At no time did we have any idea, or could we have had any knowledge, that the person in the photo, Robert Keiley, was an actual firefighter, much less a New York City firefighter. This unfortunate coincidence makes the ad into something we never intended it to be."

The Interactive Advertising Bureau Board of Directors has given their blessing to the organization's first-ever Code of Conduct. Yes, people. Behave, adhere and, generally, be an upstanding online marketer or the IAB will boot you to the curb. The Code of Conduct follows the Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising which were released jointly by the 4A's, ANA, CBBB, DMA and the IAB in July 2009.

Governing such topics as behavioral advertising, transparency, notice of third party ad serving, consumer choice, data retention, privacy and accountability, aims to stave off government intervention by amping up self regulation. Current IAB member have six months to adhere to the Code of Conduct and new member must comply within three months of joining.

Well this is totally ridiculous. A Yves Saint-Laurent's Belle d'Opium perfume ad has been banned because, well, because the woman in the ad briefly points to her arm. Thirteen complaints were filed with Britain's Advertising Standards Authority claiming the ad somehow encourages drug use. WTF?

Of course the fact the product is named Opium and the voiceover intones, "I am your addiction. I am Bell D'Opium," could have something to do with the complaints.

Explaining the decision, the ASA said, "In the context of the ad, Belle running her finger down her inner arm could be seen to simulate the injection of opiates into the body."